This invention relates to rotatable clamps of the type used for clamping two relatively rotatable parts together.
In many situations it is necessary to loosen a clamping means holding two relatively rotatable parts together to adjust their positions and then to tighten the clamping means to hold them tightly in the adjusted position. Examples of such situations abound in various types of adjustable machinery and devices. The most common clamping means used in such cases is a simple nut and bolt, perhaps with washers on either side of the parts to be clamped to increase the frictional forces acting on the parts to be clamped.
The problem with such nut-and-bolt clamping means is that they must be tightened very firmly or else the two parts will not be properly clamped together. In the case of very heavy parts or parts on which a high load is to be imposed after clamping, especially if the bolt is held substantially horizontally so that gravity assists the torque acting to loosen the nut-and-bolt clamp, the tightening of the nut must be very carefully controlled so as to tighten adequately but not to be turned so far as to strip the thread from the bolt or to damage the parts being clamped.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a rotatable clamp which can be easily tightened and loosened but which still provides a large clamping force.